Winners crowned on final day of 2024 Zhik Youth Sail New South Wales

On what was another beautiful day on Lake Macquarie, champions were crowned after three days of racing at the 2024 NSW Youth Championships.

Part of 2024 Zhik Youth Sail New South Wales that saw an initial three-day Coaching Clinic provide high-level and tailored mentoring to hundreds of sailors, the NSW Youth Championships provided the perfect finish to the six-day event.

Today saw more than 245 sailors from across Australia and New Zealand take to the water for the final time, with fun and enjoyment a shared trophy for all.

In the ILCA 6 class, Australian Sailing Futures athlete Sylvie Stannage (Hunters Hill Sailing Club) finished atop the podium after a consistent campaign that saw her win seven of nine races.

“We had a huge mix of conditions over the course of the regatta, from strong winds to really light periods, so that made things interesting,” said Stannage.

“We had some challenging racing too which was fun. There were a few occasions where people at the front were overtaken by people towards the back, so you had to be looking around the whole time.

“I always have fun at these events, especially when the wind gets up. I’m working on my skills in shifty conditions at the moment, so it has been fantastic to be here, this regatta has been really helpful.

“It’s been fantastic having so many fantastic young sailors here. I think I’m the oldest sailor in the fleet and it’s so inspiring to see the younger ones coming through so quickly,” she said.

In the 29er class, Lucy Ferguson and Isabella Armitstead (Woollahra Sailing Club) finished on top of the podium after a strong showing.

“We did really well and had a lot of fun, it has been a great regatta for us,” said Ferguson.

“Our fleet was quite small but it was very competitive, so that was probably our favourite thing about the event.”

Flying 11 pair Sophie Drummond and Harriet Skelton (Belmont 16ft Skiff Club) finished atop the podium in a class of 24 boats.

“We went pretty well, ended up winning overall which was awesome,” said Drummon.

The whole regatta was really good, there was really good racing and we had lots of fun,” she said.

Teralba Amaetur Sailing Club hosted this year's event from Wednesday 2 to Monday 7 October.

For more information on the event or full results, click here.

To follow along with the event on social media, be sure to follow Australian Sailing Youth on Facebook and Instagram.